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Research symposium

As part of the new Centre for Excellence in Community Investment, HACT is curating a research symposium to bringing together researchers and practitioners to explore how to increase the evidence base, and its impact, in community investment.

Venue: Media City, Salford

There is a strong appetite amongst social housing professionals to work with academics to collate published evidence, identify and fill any gaps in the evidence base, and to improve the transfer of knowledge from academia to social housing professionals.

The research symposium

To facilitate this process, the Centre for Excellence in Community Investment will be holding its first research symposium. This will be a chance for housing academics, researchers and practitioners to start conversations about the evidence base around community investment. It will inform the Centre's future research strategy, supporting the research and practitioner community to drive forward impact in the future.

The symposium will be an interactive and engaging day based around discussions and sharing insights, rather than on paper and poster-based presentations. We want to explore opportunities for collaboration, identify and discuss critical research questions, and identify how we can work together on research that has impact on the lives of residents and communities.

11.10 The power of collaborative research: reflections on the experience of SHUSU • Philip Martin: Research Assistant, SHUSU

11.25 Housing and community investment: reflections on research, in conversation with:

Professor Anne Power: Head of LSE Housing and Communities, LSE

Dr Halima Sacranie: Research Lead and Lecturer in Housing, Housing and Communities Research Group, University of Birmingham

11.55 Session 1: Understanding each other’s priorities in community investment and research

Where is the field of housing studies focused currently, and how does community investment fit?Helen Taylor: Vice Chair of Housing Studies Association

What are the current community investment priorities and where is the need for research and evaluation?Sahil Khan: Head of Gateway and Community Services, Catalyst

Breakout discussions on tables – 20 minutes

How can we align existing research agendas to what is happening in community investment by social housing right now?

12.45 Lunch and networking

1.15 Session 2: What role can funding bodies play in supporting collaborative research that has impact?Bruce Etherington: Impact Manager, Cardiff University

Breakout discussions on tables – 20 minutes

What are the priorities of the research / funding council, and how are we addressing that?

1.50 Session 3: How is academic research assessed, and what opportunities does that provide for housing associations and academics to work together to deliver impact?Professor Jane Millar: Chair of Social Sciences REF Panel C, and Professor of Social Policy, University of Bath

Breakout discussions on tables – 20 minutes

How can we increase the impact of research in community investment that delivers better outcomes and responds to the Research Excellence Framework?

2.30 Session 4: Next steps: creating a research strategy for the Centre for Excellence in Community Invesment Andrew van Doorn, CE, HACT

Breakout discussions on tables – 20 minutes

What direction should a research strategy for the Centre take?

3.00 Close

This event is kindly sponsored by SHUHU and Catalyst Housing Association.